A New Rebirth
by Li Vylian
Summary: Memories aren't the only things lost in Castle Oblivion...
1. Arrival

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its sequels or its characters.

-

"Is this...Am I doing the right thing?"

Slowly it slid, the metal edge cutting open tender flesh, opening a wound too large to close. The grip on the handle grew fiercer, the desperate hope stronger. Tears streamed down his cheeks as the knife delved deeper to its target. He would be leaving the world behind, his friends, his family, but it didn't matter anymore. Nothing mattered anymore.

His hands grew numb; his voice began to slip away. Blood stained his shirt, not that it mattered anyway.

The world around him began to swirl into darkness. His head tilted forward throwing his glasses to the ground. He gasped.

"No...I...can't...do this..."

Struggling, he tried to take out the knife but it was too late. He didn't realize how sharp the knife was, how it had cut his veins, how his muscle was cut too deeply, how he was bleeding a slow death.

"No...I...can't leave...just yet," he thought.

He collapsed onto the floor, his chest lifted upwards by the knife. His face flat in a pool of his own blood. The knife plunging deeper as his body was slowly being brought downward. His mind trapped in a state of panic, of despair. His soul trapped between salvation...and oblivion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where...where am I?"

A gentle voice answered.

"Welcome. You are in Castle Oblivion."

Hazily I opened my eyes only to stare into darkness. Except...when did darkness flap like clothing?

"Look up."

I lifted my head to see a friendly face, his eyes shone with a bright radiance, his smile kind and serene. His hair dropped to the bottom of his neck, layers upon layers of long, messy, reddish brown hair. He crouched down to my level and spoke with such a voice the heavens would cry.

"So what brings you to Castle Oblivion?"

"Um...actually I don't...I don't...Oh..."

My eyes began to fall lazily to sleep, I tried to keep them open but it was no use. Sleep...sleep...that's all I wanted...a bit of...sleep...

"Hmm...Looks like she's fallen asleep."

"Asleep already? How weak!"

"Most likely due to her rebirth."

"Rebirth, reshmirth, she's cute and that's what counts."

"Ugh...men..."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**"Time to get up! Time to get up!"**

Mumbling could be heard from underneath the covers as the alarm clock continued its infernal shrieking. The owner knew it wouldn't stop unless something was done. From underneath his covers, he reached out to grab the annoyance. Over his pillow, over his bed boards, onto the top of the drawer his hand searched greedily for the clock.

"God why did I buy that stupid clock..." He thought hazily.

**"Hey! It's time to get up you know! You can't just sleep forever!" **

"Oh just a few more minutes..." He responded.

Until he realized that clocks don't talk.

In a daze of realization the boy rose up.

**"Well it's about time! You've been asleep for 12 hours!" **

And fell back asleep.

**"Hey! Hey get up! You give us girls a bad name you know!" **

"Stupid alarm clock..." He mumbled.

**"I'm not an 'alarm clock!' Hey! HEY!" **

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wonder how long it's been since I slept in such a comfy bed...the soft mattress...the silk covers...the silk pillow...the silk nightgown...So comfortable...

With a yawn I climbed out of bed. My bare feet touched the icy cold of the crystal floor. Shivers were sent down my spine as I felt the freezing chill. It was cold, as each breath took its familiar visible form. I wrapped my arms around myself as I began to look around. Everything seemed to shine with a blue glow: the bed frame, the floor, the walls... everything. As my eyes searched across the unfamiliar chamber, they soon fell upon my salvation to the cold: A fireplace.

Smooth flowing curves and shapes decorated the prismatic structure of the top and bottom shelves. Two podiums stood on both sides spanning the maximum height of the room. This place was no ordinary room I thought.

I crouched down in front of the fire as I basked in its warmth, the heat such a sweet relief to the icy cold. As I sat there, a loud creaking sound echoed throughout the room. I clasped over my ears with my hands in pain and spun around to see a door begin to open.

Black boots stepped forward as the rest of the body emerged from the doorway. A large black coat came in with one continuous zipper that ran down the middle of the outfit. A strange necklace was being worn by the enigma with two additional beads hanging from thin strings that dangled in front of the necklace. Gloved hands lifted upward to pull down the large dark hood that covered the intruder's face.

As I gaped in awe at the being, the unknown entity spoke, shattering the quiet silence.

"Took you long enough."

She had blond hair that fell to her neck, with bangs that were pointed back. Her skin was a pale white, her nose petit and, well it was kind of cute. She stood there in the doorway, watching me intently with her eyes. Her mouth formed a smirk as she tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, as if waiting for something.

"You know it IS rude to stare at people."

"Oh! Um...uh...sorry?"

She let out a sigh, "Don't worry about it. So, are you going to change or what?"

"Huh?" Puzzled, I looked down to see I was still in my nightgown.

"Ah! Um...I don't mean to be a bother but...can you tell me where I can get a change of clothes?" I asked.

She let out another exasperated sigh; "The closet is to your left. Now hurry up and change, there's a meeting we have to get to."

"Meeting?" I asked as I walked over to the closet. "Strange..." I thought. "Was it here before?"

"Yeah, he wants to figure out what to do with you. We didn't exactly expect anyone else would show up. Anyway hurry up will you? We're going to be late!"

"Oh! Sorry..."

I opened the closet to find a black cloak inside, identical to the one she was wearing. I looked over to ask if I should wear this but got scolded instead.

"I said hurry up! Damn newbies!" She muttered.

I quickly slipped into the large black cloak and zipped the zipper. The sleeves reached out a bit too far; the bottom dragged on the floor. The gloves weren't as snug as I wanted, the boots felt a bit too open, but I didn't care. It felt like I was destined for it.

-


	2. A Problem

Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, at all. So the characters are used without permission etc. All the characters are trademarks of Square-Enix and Disney.

My attire dragged along the crystal floor as we walked down the hallway. We didn't say anything to each other, as she was intent on getting to the meeting and I was busy trying to avoid tripping on my coat.

Our destination wasn't very far: We turned a corner to face a dead end, where a small flower pot stood on a windowless sill. I stepped forward and examined the wall: It was a pure block of crystal, with the same eerie glow that my room had. My guide just simply stood there and smiled, chuckling frequently as I looked about our surroundings. There was no indication of anything beyond this point: no door, no gate, nothing but pure crystal. Puzzled I turned around to ask my escort.

"What are we doing here?"

"Just stand back and let me show you." She responded.

I heeded her advice and stepped back beside her. She breathed a yawn and closed her eyes. Silence fell upon my ears as I waited for something to happen. I didn't have to wait long though, as with a flash of light a doorway appeared before us. She opened her eyes and walked into the door, though not without turning her head and telling me to "Remember this place."

I shook my head to recover from the blinding light and followed her. I emerged into an expansive room, where a large round table sat squarely in the middle. An enormous chandelier hung from the top, with a strange circular design imprinted around it. Around the table were seven seats, with six of them already occupied. I walked forward and took the seat in front of me, across from a familiar face: The man with the reddish-brown hair. The chair beside him was empty, though I dared not ask why. On the other side sat a larger man, his face more serious and crueler. His hair was short and frizzled, with a light brown complexion to it. Beside the large brute (and myself) sat a stranger character, his hair red, with large spikes pointed downward. He looked strangely pleased, as he had a mischievous smile to his face. Beneath his eyes however I saw small, blue inverted triangles, which I believed to be scars of some sort. To the left of the boy with the silver hair sat what appeared to be a man but I couldn't be certain. "He" had two large bangs that ran down both sides of his face. The rest simply fell onto his shoulders and curved downward. He had a strange demeanor about him, his eyes seemed old and tired and the cheekbones in his face were most prominent. His skin was ridiculously pale, as if he spent most of his time in the dark.

They all shared one thing in common though: Their clothing. They all had the same black coat that I wore, the same-gloved hands, and the same black boots.

They all stared at me intently, with the exception of the person with red hair and my former companion. Those two seemed content to stare at each other, as if communicating in their own language.

A moment of prolonged silence ensued, as people "spoke" in their own private conversation. I simply sat there, not knowing what would become of me.

Finally the person across from me spoke, "I'm sure Larxene's already told you all about the purpose of this meeting."

Puzzled I said "Larxene?"

The blond beside me gave out one of her irritated sighs. So SHE was Larxene.

"No…actually she didn't tell me anything." I said.

"Yeah well it's not like everything was handed to me when I came y'know." Larxene muttered.

The androgynous character spoke up in a strangely male voice, "This is an entirely different situation Larxene, you know that."

Larxene moaned, "Then why don't YOU give her an update Vexen, because I still don't have the slightest clue!"

The androgynous "Vexen" gave out a sigh, "So be it," and he turned his attention to me. "The problem is you. Your arrival to Castle Oblivion has caused a certain restlessness. You see"

"Vexen! Shut up!"

The speaker was the large brutish male, now out of his seat, stared menacingly at Vexen. His fists slammed onto the table displaying both brute strength and toughness. Blood filled his face as he bared his grinding teeth; veins began to form around both his temples. His feral rage was evident, apparently Vexen struck an odd chord.

The room fell deathly silent; no one dared to say anything. My blood froze like ice, my heart raced, as I became more and more fearful of the events to come. A few moments passed until a serene voice shattered the silence. .

"Lexaeus, please show some restraint in front of our guest."

Grumbling, the Lexaeus said, "Yes, of course…sir," as he returned to his seat.

Silence befell the room once more as I sat there, hesitant to say anything. I lowered my eyes in an attempt to avoid attention. Just what was going on? Why was I the problem? What did I have to do with anything? Was -

"My dear."

I looked up to see six pairs of eyes fixed on staring straight at me, like owls watching their prey. I started to close my eyes and shiver at the thought of the comparison when I heard,

"May you please take your absence of us? I don't mean to be rude but we have particular matters to discuss."

"Of, course." I said.

I stood up from the table and began to walk towards the wall I entered from. I expected a flash of light like before, but instead the crystal structure held. Not exactly knowing what to do I turned around to ask "Um, I'm sorry but where's the doo - "

From the corner of my eye shone a familiar flash of white light, I whipped around to stare into the same gateway of light from before.

"Oh, never mind!" I shouted back to the group behind me.

I entered the doorway to find myself in the previous hallway. Letting out a sigh, I started to walk back to my room, pondering exactly what _they_ were talking about.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"He has already been summoned, and we can not delay our plans anymore than we already have," Vexen warned cautiously.

"We don't have to, all we got to do is "kill off" our little problem," snickered the spiky hair boy.

"We can't do that Axel! She IS one of us!" Larxene scolded.

"Is she? She looks too damn weak to be 'one of us' if you ask me!" Lexaeus commented.

"Exactly! So all we have to do is-"

Larxene shouted, "Axel we are NOT killing her!"

Vexen could only look onward as his comrades began to scream at each other in full force, he closed his eyes and took in a deep breathe. Something had to be done. Upon exhaling, he spoke.

"Quiet!"

Everyone looked up from his or her "conversation" to see Vexen, his face was flushed, his nostrils flared, both hands curled into fists.

Axel couldn't help but snort aloud, "Looks like someone's finally grown a backbone!"

"Quiet Axel," Vexen said. "We must focus. We do not have time to argue amongst ourselves." He paused to take a breath, and turned his attention to a smiling grin. "Marluxia, what do you propose we do?"

They all looked to the man with the reddish-brown hair, who said delicately,

"We wait."


	3. A Friend

Disclaimer: I have no jurisdiction over Kingdom Hearts, it's not mine, it was never mine to begin with, etc. They're all trademarks of Square-Enix and Disney.

The next few days after the meeting I stayed in the solitude of my room. The company of inanimate furnishings was a nice change of pace, compared to the hostilities I met at the meeting anyway.

Usually I would sit by the fire and become mesmerized by its glow. Other times I'd pace around the room, pondering questions I had no answers for. Otherwise, I would simply lie in bed and stare into space, wondering if I might ever get the chance to see her again.

"What are they talking about…" I muttered to myself. The last words I heard Vixen say still bothered me greatly: "The problem is you." I couldn't get it out of my mind, the scene kept replaying in my head; the same voice, the same words, the same weird - smack

I lay there sprawled on the floor, aching from an extremely sore spot on my forehead. "O…w..." I moaned.

"Oh my goodness! Are you okay?"

Huh? A strange voice entered my head as I felt my right arm being propped up, though it hung by a large slant. Something _small_ was trying to help me get up, so I murmured a gratuitous "Thank you."

"Shhh, don't talk. Just hurry up and come inside, it's not polite to lie in front of someone's door."

I whispered my thanks as we walked into the warmth, the sweet cool warmth.

------

"It's so hot," he complained.

"Well it IS summer," the girl beside him responded.

"To heck with summer, on with winter!"

"Yeah and then you'll be saying it's too cold."

"Of course! If I didn't can we really call it winter?"

The girl simply stared at him and said, "What's winter?"

"What?" The boy asked.

"What is winter?"

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Never better."

"So then why are you asking me what winter is? You just told me a few minutes ago."

"No I didn't. I've never heard of that term before."

"Oh come on! Stop joking around. You know I take these things seriously."

"I'm not joking. What's winter?"

"Stop this, please."

"Stop what?"

"Just stop…stop…this has to be a dream, a bad dream. This has to be! This - "

---

"Has to be!"

"Lie back down, you aren't well."

My face was flushed, my forehead sweating. I sat upright on a bed, with a stranger next to my side. Blonde hair…bright blue eyes…with a short white dress that suited her well. Her hands steadied me as I lay back down in bed, they felt soft to the touch, and I closed my eyes as I dazed off into a sleep.

Sleep, so peaceful, so lasting. Eternal sleep, forever peaceful, forever lasting…

…

I stretched out my arms, cracking tired bones out of their slumber. My mouth gaping with a yawn as I opened my tired eyes. How long was I out for I wonder? Last I remembered a little girl sat next to me, but now no one.

"Are you awake?"

I turned my head to see the door open, with the fragile little girl walking in. Her blue slippers slipped across the floor as she made her way towards me. She seemed concern with worry, and in her hands were a large notepad and a pencil…

"Yes, I'm fine," I said.

"Oh thank goodness. I don't mean to be rude, but exactly what are you doing here?"

I looked at her puzzled, was she in league with the others as well? I gulped, if she was, then what would she do to me? "Wh-what do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that I was expecting someone, and…never mind, it's nothing."

"Oh, I see. I thought you meant - "

"Hmm? Meant what?"

My mouth grew dry, I wanted to say the words but I couldn't. Caught at the tip of my tongue, lodged between my lips and the back of my throat. I couldn't trust her, could I? Still, there was something about her, something that told me I could find an ally within her.

"Vexen, he told me that I wasn't suppose to be here or something and it's been bothering me,

"Vexen was always a bit too calculating, don't worry about him. I'm glad you came."

Her voice sounded so sincere, so light and sweet. One of her blond bangs fell to the side of her cheek, just slightly covering her right eye. Her skin was a pale white…she looked like someone out of a fairy tale. She looked so innocent, and yet so stricken with despair. Behind the blue eyes, past the frail exterior, I could see a girl who spent most of her life alone, something that felt so familiar…

"Are you okay?"

"Huh, what? OH! I'm so sorry! I must've dazed off. I'm sorry."

I bowed my head a couple of times, and when I looked up after the 10th time I saw her trying to stifle a laugh. I couldn't help myself, and even I started to laugh. We started to laugh out loud together, like old friends thinking of lost times.

"I think, I think I should be going." I said as I got up. "I'm a bit tired. Thank you for your hospitality."

I started to bow again but she stopped me mid-way, "I understand" was all she said. Her tone seemed a bit down, but it might have been my imagination.

I started to make my way to the door when I felt her grab my arm. I turned to hear "I know they might be intimidating, but you'll get used to them."

"Thank you," I replied.

"If you want to get back to your room, you simply need to think of it."

"Think of it?"

"Simply concentrate on finding the path of choice, and the rest will be brought to light."

"Okay…thanks again." I started to open the door when I remembered, "You know, you never told me your name."

"It's Naminé."

" Naminé, that's a beautiful name."

I walked out and closed the door behind me. I started to walk when I heard a voice behind the door, but it wasn't Naminé's, it was someone else. Shrugging it off as an effect of the crystal, I wandered my way up and down the corridors, though to my dismay I was still lost.

"What did Larxene do again…right, she approached one of the walls, closed her eyes and…"

_"Simply concentrate on finding the path of choice, and the rest will be brought to light."_

I remembered Naminé's voice telling me, but what did she mean? Frustrated, I stood in front of a wall in silence.

"Well this is pointless, I mean what did she mean 'concentrate on finding the path of choice'? I don't see how thinking of my room will -"

A flash of light blinded my eyes, I covered them in vain to try and dim them from the onslaught of brightness. Amidst the white, I could feel the warmth of a fire wafting in.

"It can't be…"

Immersing myself in the light I found myself back in my room once more, my place of solitude.


End file.
